2021 Inauguration Fashion: Clothing With a Message
February 24, 2021
From 60’s style icon Jackie Kennedy to the monochromatic looks of the 2021 presidential inauguration, the fashion of the presidential administration and their families has always been regarded with importance. Why, you may ask, do political news outlets care about what these government figures are wearing when there are issues of much higher magnitude? The New York Times suggests that, while clothing has long been a method to diminish women in particular, “the more we recognize the role clothes play in life and politics, the more we are all willing to talk about them, the more we normalize them, the less potential they have as a weapon of diminishment.”
For politicians, their national platform of constant scrutiny can offer a useful means of communication through clothing. Taking advantage of the large amount of viewership for the historic inauguration this January, the outfit choices were used to send a message with our divided and troubled nation in mind. The color purple was popular, as it both represents the suffragette movement and signifies the bipartisan unity that the new administration is promoting. Jill Biden, Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton, Kamala Harris, and Elizabeth Warren all donned various forms of the color sometime during the inauguration festivities. The designers of the inauguration outfits also have significance. For instance, Kamala Harris wore Christopher John Rogers and Sergio Hudson, both Black designers, showing her commitment to supporting people of color. Joe and Jill Biden both wore American designers Ralph Lauren and Alexandra O’Neill respectively. Alexandra O’Neill created Jill Biden’s ocean blue outfit, and the First Lady’s choice of designers is a sign that she will continue to support smaller, American designers in the same manner as Michelle Obama.
Leila Fischer (‘23) offered her opinions on the use of fashion this inauguration: “Especially in the current state of the nation it is valuable now, more than ever, to use any force to show unity between parties.” She added, “I think it’s always good to demonstrate that despite our differences, we are united.” Even the iconic outfits of performers Lady Gaga, J-Lo and Amanda Gorman had an underlying message: Lady Gaga’s dove brooch signified peace, the color white of J Lo’s pant suit also represented the suffragette movement, and Amanda Gorman’s caged bird ring was a nod to “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou.
